High pressure duct work is utilized in numerous environments. Generally, the duct work is hung from the building. The duct work has a large diametrical size and requires joining of adjacent portions of duct work. In order to join the duct work portions, precision alignment is required. Adjacent ducts include flanges with a plurality of holes. The holes are aligned with one another. Next, rings are positioned along side the flanges to provide reinforcement and additional clamping surface. The rings include a plurality of holes to align with the holes of the flanges. A plurality of bolts is passed through the rings and flanges to secure the duct portions with one another.
This process of connecting adjoining duct work portions, while satisfactorily sealing the two ducts portions with one another, is very time consuming and labor intensive. It requires exact positioning of the duct work portions as well as the reinforcing rings. Thus, it is desirable to have an apparatus for joining high pressure ducts that reduce the time to join the duct portions together as well as lessening the time it takes to connect them together.